Pitch Perfect 2: The Pitches are Back

PITCH PERFECT 2 hit a high note with me.  I tried not to set my expectations too high—I just wanted a light-hearted comedy that I could take at face value, and PP2 delivered!  Elizabeth Banks, who apparently likes to announce for both a capalla competitions and Hunger Games, directs this fun and fancy free sequel.  The movie starts out with the Barden Bellas going back to school in their senior year of college.  They have already won three national a capella titles after PITCH PERFECT, and end up in a more exhilarating singing competition faced with formidable German opponents Das Sound Machine. 

Anna Kendrick reprises her role as Beca, but this time her struggle involves a competitive internship and not so much about her relationship with Treblemaker Jesse (Skylar Astin).  At times her internship story line is a bit too good to be true, but her boss/ music producer, super hipster intern, and a fun cameo as the recording artist make it amusing enough.  Rebel Wilson is back as Fat Amy and gets plenty of screen time with her wonderful Australian accent and slapstick humor.  Her relationship with previous a capella opponent Bumper (Adam DeVine) is more of a focal point that unfolds entertainingly throughout the movie.  There is also a new Bella, Emily (Hailee Steinfeld), which they fondly refer to as “Legacy” because he mother was a Barden Bella. Her story line probably gets too much screen time for die-hard PITCH PERFECT fans who want to focus on the same cast as before, but newcomer Emily helps the team find their voice again and compete with a new twist. I think they did a great job highlighting the Bellas individually once again to make them a fun and silly team. The rivalry with Das Sound Machine was also well played well throughout the film. 

One of my favorite scenes is the underground sing-off with the Bellas against the Treblemakers, their German opponents, and even more fun cameos from an NFL sports team.  The song choices for the Bellas are questionable at times, but overall their performances are engaging and executed well. I personally am not a huge fan of introducing an original song when everyone only wants to hear covers, though, and I think other fans may find it a bit unnecessary as well. Still, I really enjoyed the pop culture references, cameos, and humor sprinkled throughout the film.  Overall, I think the movie provides a great sequel to the sleeper hit PITCH PERFECT that everyone has grown to love.